Food Eating of Mothers and Their Daughters in Relation to Mothers' Body Mass Index

Abstract

Similarities in food eating by mothers and daughters were studied in relation to mothers` body mass index. The study included 97 pairs of mothers and daughters aged 43.3±6.0 years and 16.0±3.1 years, respectively. Food eating was determined by the food intake frequency method, using the calibrated FFQ questionnaire. Mothers-daughters family pairs were divided into 3 groups according to terciles of the mothers` BMI. Significant correlation between the amount of food eaten by mothers and daughters was found in both extreme terciles for 75 percent of products. The obtained results indicate on a significant similarity in food eating by mothers and their daughters, which in a limited degree depended on mothers` body mass. The BMI of overweight mothers was a good predictor of daughters` body mass index, which suggests that family environment promotes obesity among their children.